Folding utility lunch tray



June 2, 1953 J. c. THOMSON 2,640,597

FOLDING UTILITY LUNCH TRAY Filed May 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l H TTORNEY June 2, 1953 J. c. THOMSON 2,640,597

FOLDING UTiLITY LUNCH TRAY Filed May 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTO'RNEY Patented June 2, 1953 FOLDING UTILITY LUNCH TRAY John 0. Thomson, Ansonia, Conn., assignor to The Beaverbrook Moulding Company, Ansonia, Conn., a corporation of (Lonnecticu t Application May 5, 1950, Serial N 0. 160,232

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to lunch trays of the type having supporting brackets or hangers, and more particularly to a tray of the above nature which may be folded into a compact form to facilitate storage or shipment of the tray when not in use.

One object of this invention is to provide a tray of the above nature which comprises frictional means for holding the tray in a fiat condition when unfolded.

Another object is to provide a tray of the above nature which when in fiat condition will present a smooth unbroken upper surface, and in which the joint between the foldable sections thereof will be substantially fluid tight.

A further object is to provide a tray of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conven- 'iently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the improved lunch tray as it would appear when unfolded and in condition for use, and also showing in broken lines an object upon which the brackets are engaged for supporting the tray.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the tray as it would appear from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, as it would appear from the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same as it would appear from the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the supporting brackets folded under the tray.

Fig. 6 is a rear view on an enlarged scale, showing the tray completely folded or collapsed.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear view illustrating the hinge construction as it would appear at an intermediate stage in its range of movement.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numerals Ill and II indicate a pair of complementary tray sections of equal size and of generally rectangular shape, the front outer corners of said sections preferably being rounded as shown at I2 and I3.

The sections I0, II are provided respectively with fiat upper surfaces I4, I5 which are each surrounded upon three sides by upstanding rims t6, I'I, said sections being so constructed that when the tray is unfolded as shown in Fig. 1 the flat surfaces I4, I 5 will be coplanar and the rims IE, IT will extend continuously around the periphery of the tray.

The tray sections II], II are swingably connected by means of a hinge construction comprising a laterally projecting pair of lugs I8, I9 formed integrally on the bottom of the section Ill adjacent opposite edges thereof, and a similar pair of lugs 20, 2| integrally formed with the section I I, the latter pair of lugs, however, being arranged to overlap the lugs It, I9 upon their inner surfaces.

The pairs of lugs I8, I9, and 20, 2| extend beneath abutting ends 22, 23 of the tray sections I 0, I I and are apertured to receive a transverse hinge pin 24 which is located directly below said abutting ends.

As a means for'holding the sections III, II in flat unfolded condition, the lugs I8, I9, 20, 2| are each formed with a peripheral upper cam portion 25 (Figs-6 and '7) which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the hinge pin 24. lhe cam portions 25 are so located as to engage the lower surfaces of the tray sections I0, I I as said sections approach a coplanar relationship, so that when the tray is in a flat condition, said cam portions will have a firm frictional engagement with the lower surfaces of the sections, and thus will prevent accidental folding of the tray during use.

In order to support the tray during use, the lower surfaces of the sections I0, II are formed with respective pairs of aligned horizontally apertured lugs 26, 21, each of said pairs of lugs being located between the centers of the respective sections and the outer ends of said sections.

Provision also is made of a pair of heavy wire S-shaped hangers or brackets 28, 29, comprising horizontal shaft portions 30, 3| which are held frictionally in the lugs 26, 21. The rear ends of the shaft portions 30, 3| are bent at right angles and then in a reverse direction to form hook portions 32, 33 having downturned ends 35, 35. The ends 34, 35 are flattened in order to permit them to be inserted in a narrow space or groove in a supporting object.

The shaft portions 30, 3| are of a suflicient length to permit them to be retained in the lugs 26, 21 when said shaft portions are slid rearwardly to positions which will permit the hook portions 32, 33 to be swung upwardly and engaged over a support A, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1.

The tray sections II), II are preferably molded from a suitable still plastic material having a high dimensional stability, so that the abutting specific disclosure but may be modified and emedges 22, 23 may be very accurately formed in bodied in various other forms without departsuch a manner as to provide a tight joint which ment from its spirit. In short, the invention inwill substantially prevent any leakage of afluid eludes all the modifications and embodiments therethrough when the tray is in a flat condition. which come within the scope of the following In order to permit the tray sections H], H to claim. have a thin cross section and thus conserve ma Having thus fully described the invention, what terial,-the'lower surfaees thereof maybe-provided riswclaimed asrnew, andafori which it is=desired to with reinforcing ribs-3.6, 3T, seid'fibsmeing'interaesecnre ,Iietters'L'Patenm-is: us in order to p v clearance for e In a foldable utility tray, a pair of complementudina sl din of the Shaft p t o s 38. 3E of the .z-tary flat tray sections adapted, when unfolded, hangers brackets 9- to be disposed in horizontal edge-to-edge aligned Operation relationship, "said tray sections being hingedly I y V connected tOgether'Jby two pairs of juxtaposed, In operation, the tray m-.1ts.unfolded.nat. con- 73.153 Wemappmg,llugswextending downwardly there dition shown in Fig. 1 will have"thewhange v .wafromaarsinglertransverse hinge pin mounted in 29 engaged Over surportme ,vsaidilugs and located below the abutting adjacent or over any Obie haV111g"a"Smt1ab1eSup edges of'said tray sections, the lugs on each tray D t groove fiuch as h edge P section: having eccentric cam portions on their automobile Openmg a piece of P peripheries frictionally engaging the lower surtmli The 1 3 W111 then S Q a convement ..face.of=..thev.otherwtray,sectionflwhenuthe;inner JJDD 05391559511911asydishes 'placdathereonoadjacent .edgesofnsaid tray sections are in abutlf liquids SYN-311m S'Iflnwupomthe'traymhe zmentnsaidmam portionsdassistingin holding the h u j p fs wtrayasectionsiin flat horizontal alignment-and l quid t tray, and f e t p f nsiidable and twistable trayv-supporting hook the. abutting edges '22 '23 of'the" tray. section will brackets I pivotanywattache(into a oflsaid, p f QZ P n i q e -t Y w-sections adgiacent the outer endsthereof, whereby V2118 p m n as 1 the W .-,the weight of.articles on -thetcenter of said/tray nar iy lee-applied appoints between'the;pa1rs of will tend to hold it in fiat condition.

bracket attaching" lugsdfif"27;zlthus;teriding.to a 1 v1101c. .the tray inii'at condition. THowever, lthe THQMSON' frictional engagement "ofthe hinge lugs L8; 21,9120, .Regeremes Gite; mime file ofurth-lsflpatem 2! with. the lower surfaces ofwthe tray sections will}, prevent accidental-collapseof'the trayin the LUNITED ESTATES PATENTS evehtthabfthe loadshould-becomeshifted tonne- Number Name .Date outersendsbilrtheflgtray. 795,844 .lvlaish Aug; 1;1905 W'henthe tray is no longer neededjthe hangers 201747 Hughes May4, I909 "-23; 28 lmayvb swung; downwardlynandfthen slid ;2 ;23 Smith July 2;1918 inwardlyabene'athithertraylsections.as shownein 87, 74 Pi'outy "'Mar;' 25, I924 '.u liig.l. 5,.-.aiiterwhichsaid.tiayrsections,.mayl be -4o ,9 ;0 7 "Yoder Aug; 15, .1933 .i'olcied. or collapsedias shown irifiiglfi; forfabili- 123011686 Offutt ;".Dec'; 7, 1937 ltating. storage or Lshipment. 211.5323 "Wusst .Apr. 26; I938 ":Whiie there'ihasl beenl'disclosed inflthis specifi- 2, ,0 0 "Hbder l.Mayf23,l9'50 cation onelform in Whiclrltheinverition.may .be membodied it istcLbe.nnderstoedrlthatithisform Y S PATENTS ..sislshownlforrthe punposeofiltustratiomonly; and Number Country Date mar. (theflinvention. is,not;.tol benlimite'dflto .'the W302 GreWBritain "1893 

